tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32877191498828529392017-07-29T01:09:06.925-07:00The Life and Times of...frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-61789571343491432542012-02-07T00:26:00.000-08:002012-02-07T00:26:19.627-08:00Ode to The PixiesI hate to admit that <i>American Idol</i> inspired this post, but it's true. I watched the first few minutes of yesterday's episode with my idol fiend mama, and they were playing this piano version of "Where Is My Mind" by The Pixies to a rags-to-riches (and what, I supposed, aimed at being a sweetly nostalgic) montage of Carrie Underwood's career since her lowly days on the farm.<br /><br />Now, why <i>this</i> song was considered the best soundtrack, no clue.<br /><br />But it's absolutely beautiful and haunting, and I found a couple other great covers during my search, also included.<br /><br />Maxence Cyrin<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/7484981?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" width="400" height="265" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7484981">Maxence Cyrin - Where is my mind (The Pixies piano cover)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2440034">Maxence Cyrin</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br />Placebo<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/be8bf7FFbFM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Kings of Leon (Live)<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UcZqx5tOmW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-75664318548991099892011-11-28T02:25:00.000-08:002011-11-28T02:25:18.279-08:00"Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. It even has a watermark. "</br><br /><br />So the irony of the situation is this:<br /><br />a. I just finished reading <i>The Great Gatsby</i> last night.<br />b. It is far too late for me to still be up reading blogs, but here I am.<br />c. I was literally <i>just</i> getting ready to close up the 'ole macbook when whaBAM, I came across <i>the</i> coolest art that I've found in a while.<br /><br />Christmas wish list item numero uno - <a href="http://store.theheadsofstate.com/products/gatsby">The Heads of State <i>Great Gatsby</i> "Business Card" Poster Print</a><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/gatsby_full.jpg"><br /><br />Its description according to the site:<br /><br /><i>"Chapter four of F. Scott Fitzgerald's</i> The Great Gatsby <i>reads like a VIP guest list of the Jazz Age. Taking inspiration from those pages, this poster is comprised of the business cards and personal stationery of the movers and shakers that attended Gatsby's parties in the summer of 1922."</i><br /><br />And sure enough, pp. 61-63<br /><br />"From East Egg, then, came the Chester Beckers and the Leeches, and a man named Bunsen, whom I knew at Yale, and Doctor Webster Civet, who was drowned last summer up in Maine...From West Egg came the Poles and the Mulreadys and Cecil Roebuck and Cecil Schoen and Gulick the state senator and Newton Orchid, who controlled Films Par Excellence...Benny McClenahan always arrived with four girls...I have forgotten their names...and their last names were either the melodious names of flowers and months or the sterner ones of the great American capitalists whose cousins, if pressed, they would confess themselves to be...<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Screen-shot-2010-12-14-at-55127-PM.png"><br /><br />...In addition to all these I can remember that Faustina O'Brien came there at least once and the Baedecker girls and young Brewer who had his nose shot off in the war."<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Screen-shot-2010-12-14-at-55140-PM.png"><br /><br />Oh, and I mustn't forget the lovely Miss Golf Pro Herself...<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Screen-shot-2010-12-14-at-55223-PM.png"><br /><br />I WANT.<br /><br />[Btw, the title quote is Patrick Bateman on business cards in case you were stumped.]frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-85697719673573078032011-10-30T23:24:00.000-07:002011-10-30T23:24:29.049-07:00Leave it to Nylon Mag...to include this French rendition of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" in one of their Nylon TV specials.<br /><br />Absolutely adorable.<br /><br />Muguette - "Ces Bottes Sont Faites Pour Marcher"<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bYr9EFJkh-o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-61038623964983510532011-10-30T23:21:00.000-07:002011-10-30T23:21:13.898-07:00cat woman.Spring/ summer 2011 collection campaign of Atsuro Tayama directed by Emmanuelle Peck.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16385715?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/16385715">ATSURO TAYAMA Spring-Summer 2011</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/emmapick">Emma PICK</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-31071008325190445922011-09-28T00:33:00.000-07:002011-09-28T00:33:59.816-07:00peaches 'n cream and tiffany blue.I simply cannot get enough of my new necklace and messy buns.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Pinterest/IMG_6623-1-4.jpg"><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Pinterest/IMG_6609-2.jpg?t=1317192466"><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Pinterest/IMG_6619-2-1.jpg">frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-29983970874144996572011-09-25T20:07:00.000-07:002011-09-25T20:07:59.410-07:00little fig.<img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/IMG_6206.jpg?t=1317006272"><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/IMG_6207.jpg?t=1317006265">frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-21445933297264110252011-09-22T18:46:00.000-07:002011-09-22T18:46:52.058-07:00"Strangeness & Charm"<div> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="210" height="25" id="mp3playerdarksmallv3" align="middle"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerdarksmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://www.podbean.com/podcast-blog-embeddable-flash-player-mp3/MzEyMzU5LzE3U3RyYW5nZW5lc3NDaGFybUxpdmVGcm9tSGFtbWVyc21pdGhBcG9sbG8ubXAz/17StrangenessCharmLiveFromHammersmithApollo.mp3&autoStart=no" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> <embed src="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerdarksmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://www.podbean.com/podcast-blog-embeddable-flash-player-mp3/MzEyMzU5LzE3U3RyYW5nZW5lc3NDaGFybUxpdmVGcm9tSGFtbWVyc21pdGhBcG9sbG8ubXAz/17StrangenessCharmLiveFromHammersmithApollo.mp3&autoStart=no" quality="high" width="210" height="25" name="mp3playerdarksmallv3" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed> </object><br /> <br /><a style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-left: 41px; color: #2DA274; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: none;" href="http://www.podbean.com"></a><br /> </div>-Florence & The Machine-<br /><br /><br />"On sped my rainbow, fast as light;<br />I flew as in a dream;<br />For glorious rose upon my sight<br />That child of Shower and Gleam."<br /><br />pp. 317 <i>Jane Eyre</i>; Mr. Rochester's song.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Pinterest/IMG_6587.jpg?t=1316740934"><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Pinterest/IMG_6585.jpg?t=1316740946"><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Pinterest/IMG_6595.jpg?t=1316740896"><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Pinterest/IMG_6591.jpg?t=1316740919"><br /><br />Copper Tubing Beaded Charm by <a href="http://byart.com/">Betsy Youngquist - 3D Non-Functional Jewelry</a>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-74062573804745978162011-09-13T23:23:00.000-07:002011-09-13T23:23:09.411-07:00Wake Up."You live like this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living. Then you read a book… or you take a trip… and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating. The symptoms of hibernating are easily detectable: first, restlessness. The second symptom (when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate into death): absence of pleasure. That is all. It appears like an innocuous illness. Monotony, boredom, death. Millions live like this (or die like this) without knowing it. They work in offices. They drive a car. They picnic with their families. They raise children. And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves them from death. Some never awaken."<br /><br />— Anaïs Nin (<i>The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1</i>)<br /><br />Reblogged from <a href="http://paperdollblewsaway.xanga.com/">Paperdollblewsaway</a>.frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-38593203903725520282011-09-13T23:01:00.000-07:002011-09-13T23:01:34.825-07:00Aroma.Aura.Balm.Scent.Spice.My three favorite perfumes as of late:<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Cosmetics/IMG_6551.jpg?t=1315978543"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Cosmetics/IMG_6553.jpg?t=1315978753"><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Cosmetics/IMG_6556.jpg?t=1315978735"><br /><br /><i>Fig</i> by <a href="http://www.royalapothic.com/fragrance_catalog.html">Royal Apothic</a><br /><br />Antique and powdery. My kitty's name is Figment, Fig for short. Naturally I had to have this scent. That, and Oprah loves <i>RA</i>.<br /><br /><i>So Hooked On Carmella</i> by <a href="http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/">Benefit</a><br /><br />Vanilla and lilac. I gave this to my best friend Ash. The packaging fits her personality perfectly.<br /><br /><i>Pipe</i> by <a href="http://www.soapandpaperfactory.com/cat/30/"><br />Patch NYC for Soap & Paper Factory</a><br /><br />Nutty and smooth. Like my Great Grandpa Walt. He always smoked a pipe.<br /><br /><a href="http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/wanderlust-patch-nyc-in-boston/"><br />Patch NYC Art</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Currently listening to:<br /><br />"Like Lions Do" Right Away Great Captain<br /><br /> <div> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="210" height="25" id="mp3playerdarksmallv3" align="middle"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerdarksmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://www.podbean.com/podcast-blog-embeddable-flash-player-mp3/MzEyMzU5LzA3N0xpa2VMaW9uc0RvLm1wMw/077LikeLionsDo.mp3&autoStart=no" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> <embed src="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerdarksmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://www.podbean.com/podcast-blog-embeddable-flash-player-mp3/MzEyMzU5LzA3N0xpa2VMaW9uc0RvLm1wMw/077LikeLionsDo.mp3&autoStart=no" quality="high" width="210" height="25" name="mp3playerdarksmallv3" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed> </object><br /> <br /><a style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-left: 41px; color: #2DA274; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: none;" href="http://www.podbean.com"></a><br /> </div>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-12625406658624662342011-09-13T22:11:00.000-07:002011-09-13T23:30:12.539-07:00Familial Conversation.INT. FAMILY KITCHEN. AFTERNOON.<br /><br />A GIRL is sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch while her FATHER is bustling about grabbing at her deli chicken and potato chips.<br /><br />GIRL: Wait, so what course are you going to again?<br /><br />FATHER: It's a course on concealed...[pauses and mumbles something inaudible]<br /><br />GIRL: Wait, what was that?<br /><br />FATHER: A course on <small>carryingconcealedfirearms.</small> <br /><br />He walks out of the kitchen and down the hall.<br /><br />GIRL: [pause and then calling after him] Uhh, you know that's not legal in our state, Dad.<br /><br />FATHER: I know it's not. It's only illegal in two states: Wisconsin and Illinois, thanks to our dumb governor.<br /><br />She takes a bite and laughs.<br /><br />GIRL: We should move.frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-76182576518902828182011-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:002011-09-12T18:23:35.320-07:00"Like heath that, in the wilderness, the wild wind whirls away."I very much liked this outfit.<br />Going for pizza at Pino's with Alex tonight.<br />Today we decided that we want to have a dog some day and name him/her Pilot, like Mr. Rochester's dog in <i>Jane Eyre.</i><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/IMG_6539-1-1.jpg"><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/IMG_6538-1-1.jpg"><br /><br />Title: "Fallen is Thy Throne" <br />A poem by Sir Thomas Moore<br /><br />Quoted pp. 131 <i>Jane Eyre</i>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-58208819105576052632011-09-12T17:50:00.000-07:002012-02-07T00:12:54.742-08:00Marcus Foster: I Was Broken<img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/1314789296_400.jpg"><br /><br />This song is beautiful; I'm catching a slight Mumford vibe.<br /><br />The cinematography is pretty stunning too. I love that the two of them have an intent conversation by looking directly at the camera, making us, the audience, their middle man.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UI_pPEysgYQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-62012005410178953312011-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-27T00:00:42.800-07:00This girl...I just can't get enough of Flo.<br /><br />As in Flo & the Machine.<br /><br />She's so earnest and whimsical, just look at her website.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Picture4-1.jpg"><br /><br />My new favorite song:<br />[Currently on my 47th listen.]<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2EIeUlvHAiM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-16605150159101934452011-07-07T23:37:00.000-07:002011-09-12T18:04:22.422-07:00Paon Rouge.Translation from French: Red Peacock<br /><br />...as in <a href="http://redpeacockdesigns.com/">Red Peacock Designs</a>, with which I have simply fallen in love.<br /><br />Designer Kristen Gosselin (based right here in Rockford!) uses quirky and ethereal odds and ends to create truly unique jewelry: vintage dominoes, typewriter keys, skeleton keys, pocket watches without innards, and Clue game pieces from the early 90s.<br /><br />It just so happened that she was working a tent at an art fair right outside the restaurant I work at, and when she came in to buy a key lime bar, I couldn't help exclaiming over the peacock necklace she was wearing. "Thanks! It's a domino," she replied casually. "I made it myself. You want to buy it?" <br /><br />[I love when the shopping comes to <i>me</i>.]<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/IMG_6547.jpg?t=1315875718"><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/IMG_6549.jpg?t=1315875702"><br />So naturally I went out to look at the rest of her wares during my break and came across all sorts of wonderful, dreamy treasures, the best of which are pictured below.<br /><br />Kristen (the sweetheart) even hand-delivered this Ferris wheel vintage domino necklace to my work today after making it special for me. Now that is what I call service!<br /><br />. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .<br /><br /><br /><i>Wooden domino inspiration</i><br /><br />It instantly reminded me of <i>Carnivale</i>, so naturally I had to have it.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture27.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture17.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture16.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture15.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture14.png"><br /><br /><i>Typewriter key inspiration</i>, the first of which I snatched right up. I'm an English major, I love punctuation!<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture22.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture21.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture26.png"><br /><br />;]<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture25.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture24.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture23.png"><br /><br /><i>Skeleton key inspiration</i><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture20.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture19.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture18.png"><br /><br /><i>CLUE</i><br /><br />"Miss Peacock in the Billiard Room with the rope."<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture13.png"><br /><br />"Mrs. White in the Hall with the candlestick."<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture12.png"><br /><br />"Mrs. Peacock in the Dining Room with the knife."<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture11.png"><br /><br />"Mr. Green in the Kitchen with the wrench."<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture10.png"><br /><br /><i>Pocket watch inspiration</i><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture9.png"><br /><br />Mrs. Peacock did it...again.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture8.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture7.png"><br /><br /><i>Melamine domino inspiration</i><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture6.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture5.png"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture4.png"><br /><br />I'll end with a little nostalgia...<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/Picture3.png"><br /><br />Go check out Kristen's stuff! You won't be disappointed.frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-35394540201730909752011-07-07T22:44:00.000-07:002011-07-07T22:44:44.199-07:00Below My FeetAlex posted this new M&S song on my Facebook last week, and since then I've listened to it, but I hadn't really <i>listened</i> to it...if you know what I mean.<br /><br />The lyrics are sincere and spiritual. I need to be asking God of the same things more often I think.<br /><br />[I'm emotional tonight.]<br /><br />Excellent news though; my sister Erika and brother in law Philip are in town for a few days, and we're going to New Glarus, WI tomorrow to go to the brewery! They also get to see the show on Sunday night along with my other sister Alyssa, all of my extended family, and a couple friends from work.<br /><br />Life is so good, and I'm so blessed.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O0N9r7bNSR8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O0N9r7bNSR8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object><br /><br />"You were cold as the blood through your bones<br />And the light which led us from our chosen homes<br />Well I was lost<br /><br />And now I sleep<br />Sleep the hours and that I don't weep<br />When all I knew was steeped in blackened holes<br />I was lost<br /><br />Keep the earth below my feet<br />For all my sweat, my blood runs weak<br />Let me learn from where I have been<br />Keep my eyes to serve and hands to learn<br />Keep my eyes to serve and hands to learn<br /><br />So I was still<br />I was under your spell<br />When I was told by Jesus all was well<br />So all must be well<br /><br />Just give me time<br />You know your desires and mine<br />Wrap my flesh in ivory and in twine<br />For I must be well<br /><br />Keep the earth below my feet<br />For all my sweat, my blood runs weak<br />Let me learn from where I have been<br />So keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn<br />Well keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn<br /><br />Keep the earth below my feet<br />For all my sweat, my blood runs weak<br />Let me learn from where I have been<br />Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn<br />Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn."frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-40155480867783688422011-07-06T13:51:00.000-07:002011-07-06T13:59:51.008-07:00Fincher's Tribute to LarssonAfter much perseverance, I have finally finished reading Dostoevsky's <i>The Double</i> and am now very excited to move on to Stieg Larsson's <i>The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</i>. I understand that I may be jumping on the bandwagon a tad late, but no matter! I'll very happily move from one psycho thriller to the next.<br /><br />Here are some promo photos from <a href=" http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2011/02/rooney_mara_girl_with_the_dragon_tattoo_lisbeth_salander_ss#slide=7"><i>W Magazine</i></a> for David Fincher's American film version (Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander). Kinda racey...<br /><br />Can't wait to start my new read and certainly can't wait to see it on screen. Expected theatrical release December 21, 2011.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Films/cess_rooney_mara_07_v.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Films/cess_rooney_mara_05_v.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Films/cess_rooney_mara_06_v.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Films/cess_rooney_mara_03_v.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Films/cess_rooney_mara_02_h.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Films/cess_rooney_mara_04_h.jpg">frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-76544787315280096942011-07-06T00:01:00.000-07:002011-07-06T00:28:52.439-07:00Phantom.I have had the pleasure of performing as Meg Giry in a production of <i>Phantom of the Opera</i> at Rock Valley College's <a href="http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/Community/Theatre/">Starlight Theater</a> this summer, and in honor of our second and last run (starting Wednesday, July 6th!), I wanted to blog about some of the intellectual morsels I've discovered in my research concerning the story and its general history. <br /><br />. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <br /><br />"Overture"<br /><br /><div><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="210" height="25" id="mp3playerlightsmallv3" align="middle"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerlightsmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://www.podbean.com/podcast-blog-embeddable-flash-player-mp3/MzEyMzU5LzAyT3ZlcnR1cmUubXAz/02Overture.mp3&autoStart=no" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerlightsmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://www.podbean.com/podcast-blog-embeddable-flash-player-mp3/MzEyMzU5LzAyT3ZlcnR1cmUubXAz/02Overture.mp3&autoStart=no" quality="high" width="210" height="25" name="mp3playerlightsmallv3" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed> </object><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-left: 41px; color: #2DA274; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: none;" href="http://www.podbean.com"></a><br /></div>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <br /><br /><br /><i>"Who is this angel, this angel of music..."</i><br /><br />To begin, I'll say that the musical is only a semblance of the book by French author Gaston Leroux. I read the latter during rehearsals, and despite its differences, the novel's sinister ambiance - the rat-strewn cellars of the Paris Opera, mid-19th century - stirred a fearful curiosity I've learned to use in the show. <br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/originalcoverart.jpg"><br /><br />The novel concentrates much less on the musical's "pre-opera diva" protagonist Christine and much more on the attempts of her wealthy suitor Raul to apprehend the opera's "Phantom," a deformed man named Erik who kidnaps Christine after her first performance as lead. Raul is approached by an ambiguous character called "the Persian" who lives in the bowels of the opera house and associates himself with Erik through their shared time in India, the personal knowledge of whom he knows will help Raul in his efforts to save Christine. <br /><br />Totally absent from the stage production (and regretfully so, I must say), the Persian offers narrative insight into Erik's troubled past and the malevolent motivation behind his gruesome actions. Entire chapters are devoted to the Persian's accounts, the most important being his explanation of their acquaintance. Erik, commissioned by a czar in India to build an architecturally elaborate palace impenetrable by the czar's enemies, is suspected of potential treason as he is the only person who could navigate an enemy through the palace's many labyrinths. Paranoia causes the czar to want his architect executed, so he employs the Persian to complete the task. However the Persian, similar to the huntsman in Snow White's tale, takes pity on his victim and fakes the execution, exiling him to Paris and thus saving his life.<br /><br />And here is where the plot of the musical begins. At the beginning of the show, all we know of the deformed Phantom is that he is gifted as both musician and architect and that he has become perversely obsessed with a young opera singer, so much so that he pretends to be the spirit of her deceased father and commits violent crimes to obtain her love. We only see how his physical insecurities and deranged desire for ultimate power over Christine drive him to insanity; nothing is ever said of what he's endured in the past.<br /><br />To be honest, the book was somewhat dry at times, and the musical is absolutely beautiful and redemptive in its depiction of Christine's forgiving relationship with the Phantom. But I'm grateful to have learned some historical (be it fictional) background into the Phantom's troubled psyche.<br /><br />I also learned from the novel that the underground labyrinths and lakes of the Paris Opera actually exist! They were built as an anti-irrigation system so that the opera wouldn't flood and were also used as a sort of "underground railroad" during the Revolution.<br /><br />. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <br /><br /><i>"Andre, please don't shout. It's publicity, and the take is vast. Free publicity!"<br />"But we have no cast..."</i><br /><br />My fellow castmates Erin and Megan also contributed to my interest in Phantom trivia. Erin brought a book called <i>The Complete Phantom of the Opera</i> to a rehearsal one night, and I must have spent at least an hour flipping through the history of the tale in all of its forms: literature, film, television, and stage theater. The best part was the book's inclusion of artwork: the early illustrations of Joseph Hope Williams, vintage movie advertisements/photo-clips from different film versions including Rupert Julian's 1925 silent adaptation with Lon Chaney, and Degas-inspired paintings done by Robert Heindel that capture different scenes from the original musical in London.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.wheathampstead.net/tinsel/forsale/catalogue.htm">Joseph Hope Williams</a><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/PhantomSc4TC.jpg"><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/PhantomSc3TC.jpg"><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/PhantomCh1TC.jpg"><br /><br /><br />Rupert Julian's 1925 version<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/1925_phantomoftheoperaa_1sheet.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/1925_phantomoftheoperad_1sheetc.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/tumblr_la2grqF6gU1qbrdf3o1_500.jpg"><br /><br /><br />Arthur Lubin's 1943 version<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/the-phantom-of-the-opera-movie-poster-1943-1020417392.jpg"><br /><br /><br />"I'm Here, I'm Here, I'm Here"--Robert Heindel<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/ThePhantomoftheOpera-RobertHeindel-ImHereImHereImHere.jpg"><br /><br />"The End of Innocence"<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/heindel_innocence.jpg"><br /><br />"Phantom Dancers" [My personal favorite, as my character Meg is one of the ballerinas ;]<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/phant3.jpg"><br /><br />"Sarah and Michael, Music of the Night"<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/artheindel6.jpg"><br /><br />"The Phantom, Michael Crawford"<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/phant7.jpg"><br /><br />"The Phantom of the Opera"<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/phant6.jpg"><br /><br />"The Phantom, Michael Crawford"<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/phant5.jpg"><br /><br /><br />. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <br /><br /><br /><i>"Why so silent, good messieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good..."</i><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/1925_phantomoftheoperab_halfsheet.jpg"><br /><br />Megan introduced me to the idea that the short story <a href="http://www.online-literature.com/poe/36/">"The Masque of the Red Death"</a> by Edgar Allen Poe may very well have inspired the costuming and overall feeling of peril adopted by Andrew Lloyd Webber for the first scene of the musical's second act, "Masquerade."<br /><br />Here's an excerpt I found especially befitting:<br /><br />"It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to hearken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused reverie or meditation. But when the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once pervaded the assembly; the musicians looked at each other and smiled as if at their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to the other, that the next chiming of the clock should produce in them no similar emotion; and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes,<br /><br />(<i>which embraces three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies,</i>)<br /><br />there came yet another chiming of the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before."<br /><br /><br />. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <br /><br /><i>"God give me courage to show you, you are not alone."</i><br /><br />Last but not least, I came across a verse the other day that reminded me of what I believe to be one of the most profound themes belonging to the famed story, regardless of the medium in which it takes form...<br /><br /><br />Psalm 39:5<br /><br />"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath.<br /><br />Man is a mere <i>phantom</i> as he goes to and fro:<br /><br />He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.<br /><br />But now, Lord, what do I look for?<br /><br />My hope is in you."frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-45351598804684601802011-06-27T20:10:00.000-07:002011-07-27T00:17:18.225-07:00Wedding dress.PSYCHE!<br /><br />Not my wedding yet, but here is the adorable <a href="http://us.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=13052&catalogId=33060">Topshop</a> dress I found for the weddings of Mr. and Mrs. Nick and Jen Lashock and soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Mike and Anna Lentini!<br /><br />Congratulations girls!<br /><br /><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/35B51YNUD24D54YBLK32P13YBLK08A08YBLK_normal.jpg" /><br /><br />Me and my hot HOT date!<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/CIMG1543.jpg">frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-60620507154247813752011-06-26T00:36:00.000-07:002011-06-26T00:37:06.198-07:00Denishawn and Modern Dance.<img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/6a0133ec89b204970b01348610e1e7970c-pi.jpg"><br /><br />C.o. <a href="http://asecretforest.typepad.com/blog/2010/08/the-birth-of-modern-dance.html">A Secret Forest: The Birth of Modern Dance</a><br /><br />I came across the blog linked above shortly after I'd finished Barry Paris's biography of 1920s film savant Louise Brooks, and though I didn't learn any new details about the Denishawn Company for Modern Dance that she joined at a meager 15, I did love that it has a complete collection of photography from that period of her life.<br /><br />Doris Humphrey (standing) and directly to the right is Louise.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/6a0133ec89b204970b0133f2edd94c970b-pi.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/6a0133ec89b204970b01348610f4ea970c-pi.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/6a0133ec89b204970b0133f2ed79b5970b-pi.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/6a0133ec89b204970b013486113007970c-pi.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/6a0133ec89b204970b013486113b27970c-pi.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/6a0133ec89b204970b0133f2edc425970b-pi.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/6a0133ec89b204970b0133f2edcce2970b-pi.jpg"><br /><br />It's been a few months since I finished Paris's bio, and from time to time I still think about how much I relate to Louise when it comes to our passion for modern dance. Starting when I was only 9, I danced for 10 years at a studio that concentrated heavily on modern and even took a course on Isadora Duncan's techniques through intensive core work, contraction, and continuous movement. Denishawn, started by Louise's mentors Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, esteemed many of the same techniques as Duncan and may have even pioneered them on the public stage more successfully than she. The company heralded beautiful, fluid movement unlike any other. <br /><br />The "motivational science of movement," as explained by Barry Paris in his biography, was a theory belonging to French philosopher Francois Delsarte (1811-1871) and one that Ted Shawn closely emulated in his choreographing practices. According to Paris, Delsarte "correlated every human movement to an emotional state. His tenet was that movement expresses emotion much more viscerally and directly than speech; that, in fact, <i>it is emotion which produces body movement in the first place.</i>"<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/a0bee_History_Degree_4860957308_8c010f214a.jpg"><br /><br />'Degrees' from top to bottom: <br /><br />It is absolute<br />It is enchanting<br />It is evident<br />It is certain<br /><i>It is</i><br />It is probable<br />It is doubtful<br />It is improbable<br />It is not<br />It is impossible<br />It is evil (or rejected)<br /><br />Like Louise, I identified with the art form and fell in love with it but had a hard time wholly understanding it. Louise had a strained relationship with Shawn and St. Denis and felt that she continually fell short of their expectations. She resorted to performing in a chorus line with Ziegfeld's Follies for better pay but was never creatively fulfilled in her dancing ever again. I, too, felt that I often fell short of my choreographers' expectations and decided before I'd graduated high school that I would never be good enough to try to make it in the dancing world. <br /><br />That doesn't mean, however, that it isn't still one of my most beloved passions. And I miss it.<br /><br />At the end of her life, Louise said that she considered dancing her greatest love, more so than either acting or writing (both of which brought her greater fame and success). I'll be honest, professional film acting and/or creative writing are two of my other biggest dreams, but now that I'm at a crossroads where deciding on one passion and pursuing it is an absolute necessity, I'm confused by a woman who admitted that her greatest fulfillment came from dance, a professional ambition that ended when she was just 17.<br /><br />My point in bringing this up is not that I'm convinced I've missed some sort of calling in a professional dance career; it's more that I don't want to miss any kind of future opportunities God has for me by chasing a dream that could very well end up being less fulfilling than I'd imagined.<br /><br />That being said, I do sometimes forget about the amount of time and energy that I poured into modern dance--an extremely complex (both emotionally and physically) form of movement for such a young girl--and I'm sure I never fully grasped its precepts, especially those borrowed from Delsarte. I think I'm finally to the age where I can appreciate the native culture, tradition, and emotional zeal that modern dance represents, but instead of pick it up again, I've ironically put all of my current dancing energy into its antithesis: classical ballet. I'm in a production of Phantom of the Opera at Starlight Theater and have worked <i>very</i> hard for the last three months to perfect only a few simple moves on pointe. It's been a wonderful accomplishment proving to myself that I can actually perform such a difficult style, but like Louise's experience with the Follies, I feel that my true devotion belongs to a much different kind of dance. <br /><br />I miss the freedom, the bare feet, the <i>flexed</i> feet, the heaviness, the stark contrasts in dynamic (ups and downs, ins and outs), the close connection to easy respiration, the core concentration and the trust I come to have in my core to control all movement. <br /><br />I miss letting down my hair from a strict bun and rushing into a free dance only to fall to the floor with arms outstretched.<br /><br />I miss the friction, the turmoil, the risk...<br /><br />the bare honesty that ensues.<br /><br />Louise knew all of this and lived her life as a metaphor in similar form.<br /><br />I think that's why she considered herself foremost a dancer, and I think it's why I do too--not because it's what I do best, but because it's when I feel the most.frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-262154238740269532011-06-24T22:55:00.000-07:002011-06-26T00:36:43.873-07:00Svenska Summer.<img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/hero5_swedish_summer.jpg"><br /><br />I feel that summer has officially started now that the Swedish Midsommer Fest here in Rockford has come and past--a day full of Swedish pancakes, ware, strawberries and ice cream, meatballs, flower crowns, and the sifting through of antiques at MorMor's Attic where I found a Dala horse candle holder, water color gift tags, a typewriter, AND an Andrew Wyeth painting for a grand total of $30. <br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0625110105-1.jpg"><br /><br />$5...and it still works!<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0625110113a-1.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0625110112a-1.jpg"><br /><br />"Christina's World" 1948<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0625110107-1-1.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0625110109-1.jpg"><br /><br />The best part of the day was wandering around the John Erlander Home Museum with my dad for the first time since I'd started going to the Fest a few years back. Circa 1850, it's one of the oldest and best refurbished Swedish homes in the area with all original craftsmanship, painting, and Swedish decor to boast. <br /><br />[Think color-block wood floors, hand-crocheted afghans, hand-carved mahogany desks and chests, hand-painted stencil and gild work around the top borders of walls, an antique coffee grinder in a miniature kitchen with a wood burning stove...<i>sigh</i>.]<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0618111223-1.jpg"><br /><br />"To travel is good, but home is best."<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0618111221a-1.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0618111221b-1.jpg"> <br /><br />This grinder was my <i>favorite.</i> They used to mix an egg in with their fresh grounds for extra flavor before they cooked it on a stove. Strange, but I cannot wait to try it. My dad said egg coffee is excellent.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Literature%20and%20Blogs/0618111221-1.jpg"><br /><br />Ironically, I just painted my bedroom walls a light shade of sea foam green and found that the <i>exact</i> same color appeared everywhere in the museum home: that chest in the kitchen, the walls, the knick-knackery. My dad said that at least I come by my Swede roots honestly. <br /><br />Having been so inspired by the home's dainty attention to detail and since I haven't blogged in a long while, I'm dedicating my first to some flowy, flowery, Svenska-inspired fashion and music.<br /><br />Var så god.<br /><br />[You're welcome.]<br /><br /><br /><br />"Come Rain, Come Sunshine"<br />by Swedish band Pallers<br /><br /><div><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="210" height="25" id="mp3playerlightsmallv3" align="middle"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerlightsmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://www.labrador.se/comerain/mp3/Pallers-ComeRain.mp3&autoStart=no" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://www.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerlightsmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://www.labrador.se/comerain/mp3/Pallers-ComeRain.mp3&autoStart=no" quality="high" width="210" height="25" name="mp3playerlightsmallv3" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed> </object><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-left: 41px; color: #2DA274; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: none;" href="http://www.podbean.com"></a><br /></div><br /><a href="http://us.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogNavigationSearchResultCmd?catalogId=33060&storeId=13052&langId=-1&viewAllFlag=false&categoryId=256004&interstitial=true&intcmpid=W_COLLECTION_CLP_US_WK21_SWEDISH_SUMMER"><br />Topshop's Swedish Summer Collection</a><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/hero1_swedish_summer.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/hero6_swedish_summer.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/hero4_swedish_summer.jpg"><br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/hero3_swedish_summer.jpg">frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-8332506117505834702011-04-19T20:40:00.000-07:002011-04-19T20:40:57.309-07:00Divas.I might be a tad bit behind on popular music's latest ladies of the stage, but no matter. These two songs make me feel <i>gooood</i>.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/10067071?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/10067071">Florence and the Machine "DOG DAYS ARE OVER"</a><a href="http://vimeo.com/legs"></a><a href="http://vimeo.com"></a></p><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/3166826?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/3166826">Ida Maria "OH MY GOD"</a><a href="http://vimeo.com/user1166404"></a><a href="http://vimeo.com"></a></p>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-14877047611265232362011-04-19T00:47:00.000-07:002011-04-19T00:47:56.458-07:00Goorin Bros.<img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Picture2-4.png"><br /><br />I scoured the streets of downtown Playa del Carmen for the perfect Panama hat but never found exactly what I was looking for - a malleable, burnt barn straw-hewed topper fit for a bright summer's day.<br /><br />[I suppose Mexico was the wrong place to be looking for a <i>Panama</i> hat in the first place.]<br /><br />Lo and behold, a customer came into the store just the other day wearing a <a href="http://www.goorin.com/">Goorin Bros.</a> crown label millinery gem, and I was so jealous that I almost jumped over the counter to find out where she got it.<br /><br />Apparently there's a boutique right by where I used to live in Wicker Park. Looks like I'm going to have to make another trip into the city. I just love finding these things out <i>after</i> I've moved home.<br /><br />Here are a couple of my favorites:<br /><br />Very...Britney, Brad, Johnny, etc.<br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/100-1554-TAN-L_0.jpg"><br /><br />Very <i>Thoroughly Modern Millie</i>.<br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Wild%20Things/105-2516-MINT-L.jpg">frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-15356291728567409812011-04-19T00:24:00.000-07:002011-04-19T00:25:23.983-07:00Proud to announce...that I have officially finished reading the 550 page Louise Brooks biography I started just under a year ago.<br /><br />What a tormented soul she was.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Louise%20Brooks/louise-brooks.jpg"><br /><br />One of my favorite quotes is an epitaph chosen for her by the book's author Barry Paris, taken from one of <i>her</i> favorite authors - Marcel Proust.<br /><br />"Everything great in the world comes from neurotics. They alone have founded our religions and composed our masterpieces. Never will the world know all it owes to them nor all they have suffered to enrich us. We enjoy lovely music, beautiful paintings, a thousand intellectual delicacies, but we have no idea of their cost, to those who invented them, in sleepless nights, tears, spasmodic laughter, rashes, asthma, epilepsies, and the fear of death, which is worse than all the rest."<br /><br />Indeed, Louise was one of these neurotics. She lived a boastful, fast, liberated existence, damning all that took advantage of her and only finding solace in the books on her shelf. She was undoubtedly lonely and overly self critical, thinking that she was a failure at most everything she attempted in life. But she contributed a great deal to the art of expression in her dancing, acting, and writing, candidly giving away her opinions and her soul to people who never expected nor deserved such passion or intellect from a uniquely beautiful young girl in mid-twentieth century social/hierarchical/financial (and the list continues) chaos. These qualities simply were not conveyed in women in film before her. More profound than her accomplishments in screen personality and conviction, however, was Louise's cultural challenge to strive for veracity in understanding one's past and meaning. She labeled eras of her life for what they were - good, bad, sweetly and sourly unforgettable, drunken, failed; periods of spiritual growth and periods of darkness. Regardless of the implications, Louise was (I believe) honest to a fault with her loved ones and herself, constantly searching for God and redemption. I only hope that I am neurotic enough to contribute as much of a masterpiece to the arts and to Truth as she bravely did, despite the cost and the sleepless nights. <br /><br />Certainly she wasn't perfect...but at least she never pretended that she was.<br /><br /><img src= "http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/gReeeneyes1/Louise%20Brooks/louise2Bbrooks2Bgeorge2Bwhite2Bscandals2B1.jpg">frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-16259444485580203132011-04-12T22:22:00.000-07:002011-04-12T22:22:46.278-07:00HesherDefinitely reminds me of an avant garde yet-even-more-twisted-and-dysfunctional <i>Matilda</i>. Being that the Dahl classic is one of my all time favorite childhood reads <i>and</i> being that Nat Portman produced, I'm sure I'll give this kooky flick a go.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HXKRKpvv3SU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287719149882852939.post-42656979057083711432011-04-12T22:18:00.000-07:002011-04-12T22:18:27.252-07:00Mink PinkThese Aussies knoww-ho-ho what they are doing when it comes to fashion, man. And come to think of it, in a recent post I'm pretty sure I said the same thing of the blokes down under when it comes to their fine acting capabilities. <br /><br />Australians are just cool. End of sentence.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.minkpink.com/au/fall">MinkPink.com</a><br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16940977?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;color=d9bdcc" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/16940977">MINKPINK SUMMER 2011</a><a href="http://vimeo.com/user4634826"></a><a href="http://vimeo.com"></a>.</p><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/14760597?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/14760597">MINKPINK Swim 2010</a><a href="http://vimeo.com/user4634826"></a><a href="http://vimeo.com"></a>.</p>frenchie frenchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265808623737921568noreply@blogger.com0